Automobile car door lock opener and closer

ABSTRACT

A device adaptable for use by the driver of an automobile for lifting and depressing the lock buttons found on automobile doors from the operator&#39;&#39;s seat, involving a slide device movable along the window sill by a handle under directivity of the hand of the driver and functioning to enter beneath the lock buttons and elevate the same and also having a mallet, preferably with cushioned striking surface, for driving the buttons down to cause locking of the locking mechanism. In the unlocking function the tool has the capacity to perform camming and levering operations.

[ Sept. 25, 1973 AUTOMOBILE CAR DOOR LOCK OPENER AND CLOSER [76}Inventor: Carlos W. Veach, 8921 Ashcroft Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 9004822 Filed: Dec. 15, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 98,460

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 757,039,Sept. 3, 1968,

Noorlun 81/3 R 165,671 7/1875 Hagerty 7/9 2,759,383 8/1956 Mrazik.... 717 x 1,339,725 5/1920 Stoke 269/321 w 3,406,412 10/1968 Kottas 7/17Primary ExaminerDonald G. Kelly Att0rneyWilkinson, Mawhinney & Theibault5 7 ABSTRACT A device adaptable for use by the driver of an automobilefor lifting and depressing the lock buttons found on automobile doorsfrom the operators seat, involving a slide device movable along thewindow sill by a handle under directivity of the hand of the driver andfunctioning to enter beneath the lock buttons and elevate the same andalso having a mallet, preferably with cushioned striking surface, fordriving the buttons down to cause locking of the locking mechanism. Inthe unlocking function the tool has the capacity to perform camming andlevering operations.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PAI'ENTEDSEP25I975 3.760.656

INVENTOR CARLOS W. VEACH BY QWLMM W ATTORNEYS AUTOMOBILE CAR DOOR LOCKOPENER AND CLOSER This application is a continuation of Ser. No.757,039, filed Sept. 3, I968, now abandoned.

The present invention relates to Automobile Car Door Lock Opener andCloser and has for an object to supply, to the operator of anautomobile, a tool, manually operable from the drivers seat, forperforming the functions of lifting the buttons and connected shanks ofvehicle door locking mechanisms without compelling the operator to leavethe drivers seat, nd alternately to depress such buttons and shanks inthe act of locking the vehicle doors against casual or purposeful butunauthorized opening.

Another object of the invention is to supply to the driver of anautomobile a simple form of tool easily manipulable at a distance forlocking and unlocking vehicle doors, particularly the far doors,measured from the operators compartment, to the end of promoting safetyfor the passengers.

A further object of the invention is to furnish a tool for the describedpurposes mechanically unconnected to the vehicle of a form convenientlykept at hand to the driver and reliable in operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outinthe claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool constructed in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary inside elevational view of a I conventional doorand its locking mechanism illustrating in full and dotted linessuccessive positions of the quence of operations;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary inside elevation of a conventional automobiledoor and locking mechanism illustrating in dotted and full linessuccessive positions of the tool along a door window sill in the act ofeffecting opening of the locking mechanism in accordance with a somewhatdifferent sequence of operations and FIG. 4 is a similar view showingthe position of the tool when employed to close the locking mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, designates, in fragmentaryform, an automobile door of present conventional construction having awindow sill 11, glass window 12 and a lock button 13 and its shank 14.

In a well-known manner, when the door is closed, by depressing, thebutton 13 from the position of FIG. 3 (dotted lines) to that of fulllines (FIG. 4) the conventional latch mechanism becomes locked againstopening of the doors from the outside of the vehicle by the doorhandles. By lifting the button 13 to the position of FIG. 3 (full lines)the lock mechanism is released, freeing the door latch mechanism foropening of the door by the external door handle.

The tool of the invention is carried and manipulated by a long handle 15non-rotatively affixed in a slide member 16 constructed for slidingmovement along the window sill 11 toward and from the locking controlmechanism 13, 14 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The slide member 16 carriesat its forward portion a forward extension 17 which is bifurcated orslotted with the slot 18 opening through the front end of the forwardextension 17, as shown in FIG. 1, resulting in the formation of prongsl9 and 20, the terminal free ends 21 and 22 of which are preferablyrounded off to serve as spaced fulcrums on which the tool may be rockedon the window sill and to facilitate entry of the forward extension 17beneath a depressed button 13.

The upper faces of the prongs 19 and 20 are inclined from the free ends21 and 22 upwardly toward the slide member 16 terminating in an abruptlyrising concave cam surface 23 finally merging into the external surfaceof the slide member 16.

end in the act of prying the button 13 to an'upper unlocked position.

In operation, by means of the handle 15 the operator first locates theslide member 16 on the window sill 11 with the forward extension 17facing the door lockand thereupon manipulates the handle to advance thetool along the sill until the fork of the forward projection 17 arrivesat'the locking mechanism, inasmuch as the slide member will virtually beguided on a substantially straight line by the window glass 12, althoughthis is not necessary, the slot 18 will be in line, or can easily bemanipulated into line, with the shank l4 and made to move beneath thedepressed button 13. As the slide member 16 is pushed further along thesill, the gradually rising upper surfaces of the prongs will exertlifting 1 forces beneath the'lock button tending to progressively liftthe button by a species of camming action. The cam upper surface 23 willcontribute a final abruptlifting force beneath button 13 of greatmagnitude insuring thedislodgment of any frictionally bound shank 14.

To gain even greater lifting'force, by a twist of the wrist the operatormay cause the slide member 16 to rock on the fulcrum'24 into theposition of FIG. 3, thus lowering the forward extension 17 prior toentry beneath the button 13 and after entry reversing the twist to lowerslide member 16 and elevate the forward extension 17 directly beneaththe button 13 thus jacking up the locking device and freeing the doorlatch mechanism.

As to'the physical attributes of the device, the slide member 16 will beof substantial mass (weight) being preferably solid of'cast iron so thatits mass times velocity (MV) equation will be proportional to the workit is calculated to perform in the hand of the operator. The weight issupported by the door sill but the coefficient of friction between theslide member and door sill will be at a minimum due to the fact that theslide member is preferably externally a cylinder with its axis disposedparallel to the door sill in its position thereon and therefore there isonly line contact between the slide member and sill. The handleispreferably of wood so that the weight is confined largely to the slidemember 16 and its extension 17.

By an up and down movement of the handle the slide member may be rotatedabout its axis causing lateral tilting back and forth of the forkedextension 17, lifting the prongs l9 and 20 alternately from the sill l1and thus imparting lifting moments to the underside of the button 13first at one side, then subsequently at the opposite diametric sideresulting in successive canting actions on the button 13 tending to moreeffectively free the button and its stem or shank 14 from a laterallyjammed condition.

When the slide member has been lifted to the position of FIG. 3, thelateral tilting or rocking action will be in part at least supported bythe free end fulcrum 21, 22, and by lifting the convex fulcrum 24 whollyfrom the supporting surface (window sill 11) the entire lateral rockingback and forth of the members 16 and 17 will be supported by the freerounded ends 21, 22 of the prongs. Thus, the tool lends itself to avariety of movements all effective to exert quick and easy dislodgmentof the button 13 and its shank 14 from a locked condition.

The cylindrical form of the slide member is also favorable to theformation of a circular mallet head 25 at the end opposite the extension17 which is useful in depressing the lock buttons 13 as shown in FIG. 4.Preferably an elastomeric disc 26 is secured over the mallet face tocushion the shock of the mallet blows on the lock button 13 which aremade in most cases of plastic material.

The head 16 may be completely symmetrical so that the two sides of thebifurcated end may be identical, although this is not essential but isconvenient primarily for ease in casting the part.

Although I have disclosed herein the best forms of the invention knownto me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications andchanges as may come within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with the locking mechanism for automobile doors including abutton and dependent shank slidable up and down in the door structureand projecting above the window sill, a car door lock opener operablefrom the drivers seat for lifting the button and shank to unlock thedoor locking mechanism comprising:

a. a weighted slide member having substantially unobstructed outersurface walls,

b. an elongated handle attached to one side of said slide member,

c. bifurcated meanson a forward extension of said weighted slide memberat a right angle to said handle, said bifurcated means comprising prongsextending substantially in a plane along the axis of the handle andbeing spaced relative to one another so that the slot defined betweenthe prongs is of a width to surround the shank of the locking mechanism,

. said forward extension on the slide member having a lower surface cutaway and lying in a plane spaced above the plane of the lower edge ofthe slide member, and

e. a fulcrum at the meeting lower edge of the slide member and itsforward extension so that the slide member is rockable up and down forinitial convenient entry of the forward extension beneath the button anda final rocking of said extension upwardly to pry the button andentrained shank up to release the lock.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising g. a hammer head onthe handle offset angularly from the claw by which through the raisingand lowering movement of the free end of the handle a blow or blows maybe delivered to the button for driving same down to cause locking of thedoor.

3. For use with the locking mechanism for automobile doors including abutton and dependent shank slidable up and down in the door structureand projecting above the window sill, an article of manufacturecomprising, a device operable from the drivers seat for lifting thebutton and shank to unlock the mechanism comprising a. a slide memberadapted to slide along the window sill,

b. a handle attached to the member and reaching at least to the extendedhand of the operator whereby the operator may conveniently cause theslide member to slide along the sill and engage the button,

0. means on the member for lifting the button and entrained shankincident to the sliding movement of the member along the window silltoward the button whereby to release the locking mechanism comprising a.a forward extension on the slide member adapted to enter beneath thebutton and having an upper edge inclining from its free end upwardlytoward the slide member for automatically effecting raising movement ofthe button as the slide moves along the window sill toward and beneathsaid button, said member having,

2. an abruptly raised surface adjacent to and inwardly of the upper edgeof the forward extension for imparting a final abrupt lifting force tothe button and the shank of great magnitude to overcome any frictionbetween the shank and the door structure to insure the dislodgment ofthe button and shank during the final stage of the sliding movement ofthe slide member toward and beneath the button, said member having,

f. a lower edge inclining downwardly toward the slide v member and saidmember also having,

g. a gently curving convex surface adjacent to and inwardly of the loweredge of the forward extension to provide a lower fulcrum on which theslide member may be rocked on the window sill to elevate the forwardextension in the act of prying the button and shank to an upper-unlockedposition, the extension further having,

h. a slot opening through the outer end of the extension with prongs atthe sides of the slot adapted to extend beneath opposite sides of thebutton while the shank occupies the slot, said prongs beingsubstantially parallel to one another so that the slot is of uniformwidth throughout its entire length, and

i. the ends of said prongs havingrounded off surfaces.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 further comprising j. means on theslide member for driving the button and shank downwardly to causelocking of the mechanism, said slide member and said driving means beingof substantial weight so that their mass times velocity (MV) equationwill be proportional to the work it is calculated to perform in the handof the operator.

1. For use with the locking mechanism for automobile doors including abutton and dependent shank slidable up and down in the door structureand projecting above the window sill, a car door lock opener operablefrom the driver''s seat for lifting the button and shank to unlock thedoor locking mechanism comprising: a. a weighted slide member havingsubstantially unobstructed outer surface walls, b. an elongated handleattached to one side of said slide member, c. bifurcated means on aforward extension of said weighted slide member at a right angle to saidhandle, said bifurcated means comprising prongs extending substantiallyin a plane along the axis of the handle and being spaced relative to oneanother so that the slot defined between the prongs is of a width tosurround the shank of the locking mechanism, d. said forward extensionon the slide member having a lower surface cut away and lying in a planespaced above the plane of the lower edge of the slide member, and e. afulcrum at the meeting lower edge of the slide member and its forwardextension so that the slide member is rockable up and down for initialconvenient entry of the forward extension beneath the button and a finalrocking of said extension upwardly to pry the button and entrained shankup to release the lock.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 furthercomprising g. a hammer head on the handle offset angularly from the clawby which through the raising and lowering movement of the free end ofthe handle a blow or blows may be delivered to the button for drivingsame down to cause locking of the door.
 3. For use with the lockingmechanism for automobile doors including a button and dependent shankslidable up and down in the door structure and projecting above thewindow sill, an article of manufacture comprising, a device operablefrom the driver''s seat for lifting the button and shank to unlock themechanism comprising a. a slide member adapted to slide along the windowsill, b. a handle attached to the member and reaching at least to theextended hand of the operator whereby the operator may convenientlycause the slide member to slide along the sill and engage the button, c.means on the member for lifting the button and entrained shank incidentto the sliding movement of the member along the window sill toward thebutton whereby to release the locking mechanism comprising d. a forwardextension on the slide member adapted to enter beneath the button andhaving an upper edge inclining from its free end upwardly toward theslide member for automatically effecting raising movement of the buttonas the slide moves along the window sill toward and beneath said button,said member having, e. an abruptly raised surface adjacent to andinwardly of the upper edge of the forward extension for imparting afinal abrupt lifting force to the button and the shank of greatmagnitude to overcome any friction between the shank and the doorstructure to insure the dislodgment of the button and shank during thefinal stage of the sliding movement of the slide member toward andbeneath the button, said member having, f. a lower edge incliningdownwardly toward the slide member and said member also having, g. agently curving convex surface adjacent to and inwardly of the lower edgeof the forward extension to provide a lower fulcrum on which the slidemember may be rocked on the window sill to elevate the forward extensionin the act of prying the button and shank to an upper-unlocked position,the extension further having, h. a slot opening through the outer end ofthe extension with prongs at the sides of the slot adapted to extendbeneath opposite sides of the button while the shank occupies the slot,said prongs being substantially parallel to one another so that the slotis of uniform width throughout its entire length, and i. the ends ofsaid prongs having rounded off surfaces.
 4. A device as claimed in claim3 further comprising j. means on the slide member for driving the buttonand shank downwardly to cause locking of the mechanism, said slidemember and said driving means being of substantial weight so that theirmass times velocity (MV) equation will be proportional to the work it iscalculated to perform in the hand of the operator.